LueAnn Melville looks forward to Tobago Carnival

Following passion, that’s how Roxborough resident LueAnn Melville got involved in mas.

Melville is the CEO of one of Tobago’s most popular Carnival bands, LueAnn Melville and Associates.

With the possibility of a physical Carnival in Tobago in October Melville is in preparatory stage and has reached out to her masqueraders. While she is optimistic, she does not envision a street parade because of the lingering pandemic. She is, however, hopeful that Carnival in Tobago will get brighter.

Melville's introduction to mas production came in 2003, when she and a few other friends brought their own band to the road.

“It wasn’t me alone at the time – it was five of us. We use to play mas with police youth club, and we find we weren’t being treated good, they weren’t treating us nice.

"One day as we sat there making mas, and one day when we were coming out with the band, going to play mas on the road, one of them said, 'is better we bring we own mas,' and I said, 'alright is better we do that.'”

She said they decided to put together $500 per person towards starting their very own band, but little did they know that that was just a start.

“We didn’t know that $500 a man can’t bring any mas,” she laughed. We throw the $500 and I put the rest of money because I was selling clothes and I had a little extra cash on hand, so I put the rest of money and we brought the band.”

For two years, she said the newly-formed band, Scandolous, was successful, until in 2005, she decided that it was time to go on her own with her very own incorporation of LueAnn Melville and Associates.

“It was me and my family, my daughter and my husband.

“That year we brought Gold in the Splendour and in 2006, we brought Purity of the Caribbean. From that, we kept going and going until now where we have two bands – a medium and a large.”

With an eye for detail and a mind focused on perfecting her craft, Melville said her best mas was a sailor band in 2017.

“I still think that was the best. My daughters though, they would say the best mas I ever brought was Ancient China – that was a Chinese mas. I think that was the first time I ever got the band of the year title. That was 2018.”

But what is the most joyous part of bringing a band?

“I would have to say making the costumes. The building of the costumes is good, but it tires you out especially when you have to hustle for the king and queens (on) the night – that does kill you out, it’s very tiring.”

With an array of trophies on display, she said that the band has won many accolades, the most recent being band of the year in 2018 and 2020.

Meantime, Melville and other on the island are gearing up for the hosting of a Tobago Carnival in October. Stakeholders are in total support with the recent decision of the THA Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation to host a physical Carnival celebration on the island this year.

In a statement, the division said "a unanimous consensus" was reached among the division, the Tobago Festivals Commission Ltd and other Carnival bodies formalising with a signed agreement after a series of consultations involving the division’s line secretary, Tasha Burris, assistant secretary Megan Morrison and representatives of various governing bodies in mas, pan and calypso.

The division said according to the agreement, the organisations will focus on restructuring and strengthening the overall festivities and begin preparations for Tobago Carnival 2023.

With 20 years’ experience under her belt, Melville said, “I’m trying to prepare but it wouldn’t be as what we think it would be – 2023 will be better. Although we want it to be on the streets, it won’t be like that, I don’t think so because the covid still lingering around. This 2022, we still have to be prepared in case we’re going on the road or if we have to carry up a kind and queen on the stage, but I don’t think for October we’ll get to go on the streets.”

She added: “There hasn’t been any Carnival since 2020 so it’s really nothing. I understand what is going on."

She said she was present at the meeting when the decision was taken.

“We agreed – we agreed when the secretary brought it up asking if we want it then or if we just prefer to go with the national Carnival. The national Carnival, that was happening way too soon, and they said that they didn’t have any money because right now the covid19 really mess we up.”

She added: “The covid19 has been here since 2019 and we have to spend monies – we couldn’t go anywhere so we had to spend money so most of the mas money spend out.”

However, she still remains hopeful that Carnival in Tobago will come again bigger and better.

“Yes – if this covid19 goes, that go be a real good thing for Tobago – I telling you that.”

She said she has been in contact her die-hard players on this decision.

“They have agreed, everybody afraid this covid19. All they’re telling me is we will gear up for October. That is all they’re telling me, call them for October, get on to them.”

Also, in reaction to the possibilities of October Carnival, retired mas administrator Terrence Sandiford said the decision has given him some level of hope.

“I will always support a Tobago Carnival at a separate time from Trinidad.”

But, he is of the view that some work needs to be done.

“My belief is that the whole structure should be re-adapted and re-aligned. I think they need to sit down before they call a date. They need to sit down and find out the true purpose of it, what it could do for our island – it could do a multitude of things.”

He recalled that previously Tobago had its own Carnival in October and the October period is nothing new.

“I started the Tobago Fest in 1998 from September 25 to October 1, it was for a week of activities. It run from 1998 to 2006, he said. A bottle-pelting incident along Wilson Road led to the fest being cancelled, he said.

Sandiford tried again and the event was restarted in 2018 titled The Rebirth of Tobago Fest, with a “scaled-down version” of Tobago Fest that included a street parade in Crown Point.

“All events were extremely well attended.”

He said after an absence of more than a decade the annual two-day Carnival-type event returned “to excite thousands of patrons, mostly from Trinidad.”

The event consisted of a J’Ouvert at Canoe Bay and ended with a Cool Down event at Swallows Bay in Crown Point.